Analysis of preoperative intracavitary cesium application versus postoperative external beam radiation in stage I endometrial carcinoma

Two groups of patients with surgical Stage I endometrial carcinoma treated at the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City are analyzed. Group 1 comprises 112 patients treated from 1974 through 1976, during which time preoperative intracavitary cesium was routinely used in all patients. Group 2 comprises 117 patients treated 1981 through 1983 under the treatment policy of hysterectomy without preoperative cesium. High risk patients from each group (grade 3 and/or deep myometrial invasion) generally received similar postoperative external beam pelvic radiotherapy (4500-5000 cGy). While 5-year actuarial disease-free survival rates were similar in each group (94% Group 1 vs 91% Group 2), multivariate analysis by the Cox Regression Method revealed that inclusion within treatment Group 2 carried independent adverse prognostic significance (p = 0.018). Other independent predictors of adverse 5-year disease-free survival included deep myometrial invasion and increasing histologic grade. Group 1 patients with grade 3 lesions had a superior 5-year actuarial disease-free survival (76% vs 53%) compared to those from Group 2. Group 1 patients with deep myometrial invasion also had a superior 5-year disease-free survival (84% vs 69%). The remaining low risk patients (grade 1 or 2, less than 1/3 myometrial invasion) had an excellent 5-year disease-free survival with or without preoperative cesium. Immediate preoperative intracavitary cesium was well tolerated, did not obscure pathologic findings and in our experience, reduced the probability of recurrence in high risk Stage I endometrial carcinoma patients.